The room had fallen quiet once more.
The lingering scent of tea blended faintly with the fragrance of winter flowers beginning to wilt. The chairs had been neatly arranged again, porcelain cups carried away one by one, and the whispers that had filled the air since midday had vanished as though they had never existed.
Valerie remained seated.
The gown she wore felt heavier now not because of its fabric, but because of the meaning it had carried today. Her first tea gathering was over. And for the first time, she truly understood what it meant to stand or sit within the world of the nobility.
Sera approached with careful steps, holding the velvet box that had been the center of everyone's attention earlier.
"I'll place it somewhere safe, Miss," she said softly.
Valerie nodded.
"Thank you."
